July 22, 2025

Sport and the female body

28 minutes

As an era-defining summer of women’s sport kicks off, Inside Health looks at the science of sport and the female body.

What do we know about how female physiology affects sporting performance?

James visits Manchester to meet elite athletes and the scientists who are at the forefront of investigating the impact of periods on athletic performance and why women are more prone to certain injuries than men. He also hears about breast movement and why the right sports bra really matters.

You'll hear from:

- Calli Hauger-Thackery, a distance runner who has represented Team GB in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games;

- Kirsty Elliott-Sale, Professor of Female Endocrinology and Exercise Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University;

- Dr Thomas Dos'Santos, Senior Lecturer in Strength and Conditioning and Sports Biomechanics at Manchester Metropolitan University;

- Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor of Biomechanics and Head of the Research Group in Breast Health at the University of Portsmouth;

- Katy Daley-McLean, former England rugby captain and leading England point scorer of all time, now Women's Performance Lead at Sale Sharks Women

Presenter: James Gallagher

Producer Gerry Holt

Editor: Glyn Tansley and Martin Smith

Production coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

This episode is produced in partnership with The Open University. Curious to know more? Try The Open University’s ‘Menstruation Myths’ quiz by following the links to The Open University.

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By BBC Radio 4

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